Should we start over? Move from Texas to California. Am I over romanticizing California?
Lots of background: My husband and I are 30 years old, we have a 3 year old daughter who's not in school yet. We’ve lived in a small ugly town in Texas our whole lives. I don’t want to sound ungrateful bc this small ugly town has given us a great life. We own a home with an amazing interest rate (2.375%, $1,400 mortgage, 15 yrs), my husband just financed an investment house that brings in an extra $400 a month, we own are cars, and our family is here. My husband has
a great job with a rotating schedule that allows me to work part time and get out of the house 3 days a week. My mom and his mom help us out when needed.
Like I said, I am extremely grateful for these opportunities and I know its bc this small ugly town is cheap. Texas has no state tax. Wages in this town are extremely fair for some reason? My husband gets paid $45/hr and I get paid $30/hr. I’m about to be done w/ my masters in accounting and I plan on working full time once my daughter starts school full days.
So what do I need advice on? My husband and I have been wanting to move to a bigger town since we turned 18. Dallas Austin Denver literally anywhere but here. It’s never happened because big towns are so expensive and we wouldn’t have what we have here. And now with the great deal we have on our house it feels like we’re stuck here bc we know we’ll never get the same deal again. I know I know - boo hoo poor us we have such a good deal on a beautiful home. Trust me I know how privileged this sounds but please bear with me.
Originally I’m from California and I still have family there like aunts, uncles, cousins, and my dad. (divorced parents). Every time we visit Cali (like once a year) we just feel weightless and happy and our allergies disappear and the sun seems to shine brighter. We’ve only ever dreamed of living there. My family there always complains how they are barely surviving and everything but they refuse to live and say they would rather struggle than move to a small ugly town like where we live. If they can make it why can’t we?
I woke up one day like 2 weeks ago and decided I wanted to sell everything and move to California. I told my husband expecting he’d laugh and call me crazy but instead he said, f it lets do it.
Immediately our parents called us crazy and ungrateful.
My family in Cali said its the best news and they support us 100%.
One year. I want to try it just for one year. That’s what I want to commit to to start off with. My idea is to sell our main home, use the equity to pay off the investment home and any debt we have, and start over in Cali. If we hate it or if we fail or can’t afford it or whatever, we can come back to a paid off house and start again. In the meantime we’d have the money from renting the investment house to help us financially in Cali since only my husband would work until my daughter gets into school or daycare so I can work too.
I’m torn between life is short, take risks, and you can’t take your house to the grave with you vs. play it safe be grateful and maybe I just need a hobby.
Imagine living so close to the beach. Living somewhere the weather is nice more than 4 days a year. Where places and stores are actually walking distance. Where the parks are green and the trees have leaves.
Should I uproot our lives because lifes too short? A fresh start? My husband and I are such a great team all we need is each other I KNOW it.
Or am i being naive and over romantisizing
california?
For reference- we know we’d downsize from a 3bd 2 bath house with a yard to a 1 bd 1 bath apartment for double the price, but we are okay with that if it means being closer to the beach.We know we have to bust our ass to make it. know we have to let go of some luxuries like eating out or shopping. But we only shop here because theres nothing else to do. Literally when im bored i go walk around target or walmart.
Anyways. What are yalls opinions? Thoughts? You won’t hurt my feelings. I just want to talk this out with people.